A checklist

A new company flotation requires a different financial public relations campaign to a company’s presentation of results or a new stock market listing. However, there are a number of key points that need to have been addressed before embarking on any campaign.

• Do you know what are the objectives of the campaign and what is the preferred timescale for achieving these objectives? Do these objectives fit with the long-term strategy for the organization?

• Have you clearly identified the key strengths that are going to be the core of the campaign message?

• Have you identified the weaknesses of the organization and its management, and developed a communications plan for dealing with them when they arise?

• Have you identified who will be the principal spokesperson ensured that they are properly prepared and media trained, and decided who will support them in presenting the case?

• Is your campaign coordinated with all the other public relations and marketing activity being carried out by the organization?

• Have you a clear timetable of events, checked that it fits in with the rest of the company’s financial calendar and with all Stock Exchange rules and regulations?

• How are you going to measure your success?

(Anne Gregory. Public Relations in Practice. – Kogan Page, 2001. – P. 67-86)